The DA’s SONA expectations

10 February 2022

Note to Editors: Please find attached voicenote from the DA Federal Leader John Steenhuisen MP.

When President Ramaphosa delivers the State of the Nation Address this evening, at the very least, we want him to announce:

Socioeconomic

- The end of the State of Disaster. This includes an end to those existing policies which are clearly irrational and doing more harm than good (capacity restrictions, outdoor masking). Because of dire unemployment, delink the Social Relief of Distress grant from the SoD and enable it under normal legislation.
- Labour law reform to make it easier and more attractive for businesses to employ people.
- Sale or closure of all non-performing state-owned companies.
- The removal of all obstacles to competent metros and municipalities buying electricity directly from independent power producers, and to municipal self-generation.
- Review of the fuel pricing model.
- His government’s support for the End Cadre Deployment Bill to enable an independent public service commission that can ensure public appointments are based on ability to deliver services to the public.
- Decisive rejection of all job-killing policies: National Health Insurance, Mining Charter, Black Economic Empowerment, Expropriation Bill, nationalisation of the Reserve Bank, prescribed assets, localisation.
- Commitment to bringing state wages for non-front line public servants in line with private-sector counterparts, and rationalisation of a number of middle managers.
- A Basic Income Grant must be funded by increased revenues from major reforms to our economy. NOT through increased taxes like VAT or more borrowing, which will only deepen poverty.

Governance

- A plan for funding and capacitating the National Prosecuting Authority and better delegation to ensure successful prosecution of high-profile corruption and serious violent crime.
- The establishment of an independent, credible, resourced corruption fighting body.
- Reform of the methods of appointing commissioners to the Judicial Service Commission to ensure its independence.
- That control of passenger rail will be decentralised to competent metros.
- The removal of these ministers from his cabinet and their replacement with capable individuals:
- Bheki Cele – for the dysfunction at SAPS and SAPS’ failure to protect life and property during the July 2021 civil unrest.
- Ayanda Dlodlo – for failing to protect life and property during the July 2021 civil unrest.
- Fikile Mbalula – for the Dept of Transport’s driver’s licence failures, having only one machine making them.
- Angie Motshekga – for longstanding failure to improve education outcomes.
- Ebrahim Patel – for socialist economic policies that are killing investment.

Safety

- That the instigators of the July 2021 civil unrest have been arrested and charged.
- The decentralisation of policing to competent metros and municipalities.
- That xenophobic rhetoric and behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Education

- A recovery plan to assist school children make up for dramatic learning losses during the lockdown.
- A system for monitoring and incentivising teacher performance.
- A plan to track learner dropouts and keep kids in school right up to the end of matric.

Tonight President Ramaphosa should put the country before ANC unity, acknowledge his failures, be bold, and choose progress for all South Africans.

Issued by John Steenhuisen, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 10 February 2022